HKSM

Purpose & When to Use

• Formally finish a project or phase by confirming deliverables are accepted and all work is complete.
• Transfer ownership of outputs to operations or the customer, and make sure support is in place.
• Close contracts, reconcile finances, archive records, and release people and resources.
• Capture lessons learned and publish a final performance report to inform future work.
• Use at the end of each phase, at overall project completion, or when work is terminated early.

Mini Flow (How It’s Done)

• Confirm scope completion: verify all requirements are met and outstanding work is documented.
• Obtain formal acceptance: secure written sign-off from the customer or sponsor on completed deliverables.
• Complete transition: hand over deliverables, training, support plans, and access to the receiving organization.
• Settle finances: ensure invoices are paid, accruals cleared, and the budget is reconciled.
• Close procurements: confirm all vendor obligations are met, receive completion certificates, and archive correspondence.
• Resolve open items: close or document disposition of issues, change requests, and risks, noting any residual risks.
• Update records: finalize baselines and logs, update benefits information, and record actual performance versus plan.
• Compile lessons learned: summarize what went well, what to improve, and recommended actions for future teams.
• Prepare and circulate the final report: include objectives, outcomes, variances, benefits status, and key insights.
• Release resources: formally release the team, recognize contributions, and update resource calendars.
• Archive and communicate closure: store all artifacts in the organization’s repository and notify stakeholders the project or phase is closed.

Quality & Acceptance Checklist

• All deliverables verified and accepted with documented sign-off.
• Requirements coverage confirmed; traceability shows complete or formally waived items.
• Quality criteria met; test results and any deviations approved.
• All change requests and issues are closed or have approved disposition.
• Risks are closed or have owners for any residual risks.
• Operational handover completed: manuals, training, licenses, access, and support contacts provided.
• Service or operations team acceptance obtained, including warranty or support arrangements.
• Contracts closed: final deliverables accepted, payments made, claims resolved, and closeout letters filed.
• Financials reconciled: budget versus actuals documented; assets and inventory accounted for.
• Final report shared; lessons learned recorded and stored in the knowledge repository.
• Team and stakeholder closure communications sent; resources released in HR and scheduling systems.
• All records archived per policy and retention rules.

Common Mistakes & Exam Traps

• Ending work without formal acceptance; always seek written sign-off before declaring closure.
• Forgetting procurement closure; vendor contracts must be formally closed, even if work is done.
• Skipping transition to operations; ensure support model, access, and training are in place.
• Leaving open issues or change requests; close or document their disposition and owners.
• Ignoring benefits information; update expected versus realized benefits and hand over to the benefits owner.
• Not archiving documents; store all key records for audits and future reuse.
• Thinking closure happens only at project end; it also applies at phase gates and early termination.
• Treating lessons learned as an afterthought; summarize and share insights as part of closure.

PMP Example Question

A project’s deliverables are complete and accepted. What should the project manager do next to close the project?

1. Release the team and celebrate the achievement.
2. Update the schedule and start the next project.
3. Complete financial and contract closure, archive records, and issue the final report.
4. Conduct a mid-project review to capture lessons learned.

Correct Answer: C — Complete financial and contract closure, archive records, and issue the final report.

Explanation: After acceptance, the manager finalizes administrative and procurement closure, archives documents, and publishes the final report before releasing resources.